Food Allergies – Reducing the Risks

Food allergies can range from
merely irritating to life threatening.
Approximately 30,000
Americans go to the emergency room
each year to be treated for severe food
allergies, according to the Food Allergy
and Anaphylaxis Network. It is estimated
that 150 to 200 Americans die
each year because of allergic reactions
to food.

Food allergies affect about two percent
of adults and four to eight percent
of children in the United States, and the
number of young people with food allergies
has increased over the last decade,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Children
with food allergies are more likely to
have asthma, eczema, and other types
of allergies.

Some food allergies can be outgrown.
Studies have shown that the severity of
food allergies can change throughout a
person’s life.

“There is no cure for food allergies,”
says Stefano Luccioli, MD, senior medical
advisor in the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration’s Office of Food Additive
Safety. “The best way for consumers
to protect themselves is by avoiding
food items that will cause a reaction.”

What is a Food Allergy?
A food
allergy is a specific type of adverse food
reaction involving the immune system.
The body produces what is called an
allergic, or immunoglobulin E (IgE),
antibody to a food. Once a specific food
is ingested and binds with the IgE antibody,
an allergic response ensues.

A food allergy should not be confused
with a food intolerance or other
nonallergic food reaction. Various epidemiological
surveys have indicated
that almost 80 percent of people who
are asked if they have a food allergy
respond that they do when, in fact,
they do not have a true IgE-mediated
food allergy.

Food intolerance refers to an abnormal
response to a food or additive, but
it differs from an allergy in that it does
not involve the immune system. For
example, people who have recurring
gastrointestinal problems when they
drink milk may say they have a milk
allergy. But they really may be lactose
intolerant.

“One of the main differences between
food allergies and food intolerances is
that food allergies can result in an immediate,
life-threatening response,” says
Dr. Luccioli. “Thus, compared to food
intolerances, food allergic reactions pose
a much greater health risk.”

Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of
a food allergy usually develop within
about an hour after eating the offending
food. The most common signs and
symptoms of a food allergy include

hives, itching, or skin rash;

swelling of the lips, face, tongue and
throat, or other parts of the body;

wheezing, nasal congestion, or trouble
breathing;

abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea,
or vomiting; and

dizziness, light-headedness, or fainting.

In a severe allergic reaction to food –
called anaphylaxis – you may have more
extreme versions of the above reactions.
Or you may experience life-threatening
signs and symptoms, such as

swelling of the throat and air passages
that makes it difficult to breathe;

shock, with a severe drop in blood
pressure;

rapid, irregular pulse; and

loss of consciousness.

Major Food Allergens
The Food
Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection
Act, a comprehensive food labeling
law, has been in effect since January 1,
2006. Under FALCPA, food labels are
required to state clearly whether the
food contains a major food allergen.

A major food allergen is defined
as one of the following foods or food
groups, or is an ingredient that contains
protein derived from one of the following
foods or food groups:

milk;

eggs;

peanuts;

tree nuts, such as almonds, walnuts,
and pecans;

soybeans;

wheat;

fish; and

shellfish, such as crab, lobster,
and shrimp.

“These foods or food groups account
for 90 percent of all food allergies in the
United States, and FALCPA focuses on
IgE-related food allergies,” according to
Dr. Luccioli. “This law does not protect
everyone with a food allergy, but should
protect the majority of people who may
have severe allergic responses to foods.”

Protecting Yourself
If you have
food allergies, you must be prepared
for unintentional exposures. To protect
yourself, the National Institute of Allergies
and Infectious Diseases recommends
that you do the following:

Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace
stating that you have a food allergy
and are subject to severe reactions.

Carry an auto-injector device containing
epinephrine (adrenaline) that you
can get by prescription and give to yourself
if you think you are experiencing a
food allergic reaction.

Seek medical help immediately if
you experience a food allergic reaction,
even if you have already given yourself
epinephrine, either by calling 9-1-1
or getting transportation to an emergency
room.